The First Woodland- What a Tree-Mendous Occasion
We have spent many months preparing our first 1.5 acre area for tree planting and in December we finally planted our first woodland in the Northeast corner of the site.
As part of our restoration works, we have capped the area with clay and then added a drainage layer. Next, we needed to create a suitable growing media. To do this we laid up to 1.8m of screened finishing soil across the woodland patch. This was then rotavated and seeded with a woodland grass seed mix. After leaving this to grow for 3 months we were ready to begin planting 1000 trees .
We have planted a mix of 14 species, Oak, Birch, Hazel, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Rowan, Beech, Hornbeam, Cherry, Service, Apple, Holly, Maple and Rose. All of which are native and found in the local woodlands. The woodland is predominantly Oak, as this is what is currently around the local woodland areas. We placed many of the smaller scrub species, like hazel, hawthorn and blackthorn, along the edges of the woodland to create a transition from the larger woodland trees to the much shorter grassland vegetation we will be planting later in the adjacent area.
The trees came as individual whips, around 0.5m tall and were planted in a random pattern to make the woodland look as natural as possible, once established. Deer guards were then installed around each tree to protect it against the roe deer we regularly get onsite. We also covered the bottom of the trees with woodchip. This helps retain moisture, stops the frost damaging the roots and stops weeds growing at the base of the tree.
This woodland will need constant upkeep for the next few years. As part of our programme we will regularly cut the grass and weeds within the woodland and replace the woodchip around the base of the trees until they have become established. We will also check the trees during the summer and replant any that have died within the first couple of years.
We didn’t create this woodland on our own, we had a lot of help. We had help from the KSS CRC - the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Community Rehabilitation Company, who sent their Community Payback Team here to assist with a large area of the woodland. We also had help from Cranleigh Scout Group. Where over 20 leaders, children and parents from the local Scouts and Beavers came along to help create some new habitat in Cranleigh, just before Christmas
Thank you to all that helped us create our first patch of woodland, even though it wasn’t the best weather you carried on and your hard work is very much appreciated, and we will be in touch again when our second area is ready to plant.
Overall, we are creating 16 hectares of woodland and will be creating more every year until we are finished onsite.
If you would like to assist us next year with our tree planting, please contact us via our contact us page.
